Terri Prettyman Trip- April 2024

Activities:

• VIP Arrival UA72 16:40 - Arrival at Ben Gurion airport. Your VIP agent will be waiting to greet you at the sleeve of the plane. After assisting with arrival procedures and collecting your baggage, you will be taken to meet your driver.

• Transfer to your hotel

• Check in to your room and relax

• Dinner at one of Tel Aviv's amazing restaurants - We can make suggestions and reservations.

• Tel Aviv- David Kempinski

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel - Your guide will meet you at your hotel.

• Begin your day in Old Jaffa - Jaffa is one of the most ancient port cities in Israel and the Mediterranean basin. Today, Jaffa is a mixed city, where Jews and Arabs live alongside each other. Tel Aviv, Jaffa's younger sister, was established centuries later, in the year 1909. Though the two were united into one municipality in 1949, each part has retained its unique feel and atmosphere. Jaffa has been regenerated in recent years with the old narrow streets and courtyards becoming a highly popular part of Tel Aviv’s urban tapestry.

• As you tour, taste local treats- savory and sweet

• Continue to Neve Tzedek - Neve Tzedek is the first Jewish neighborhood to be built outside of Jaffa and is now one of the most beautiful and desirable locations in Tel Aviv. It was built in 1887 by dignitaries of the old Jewish community of Jaffa. Looking to head out of the ever-growing and over-crowded Jaffa, they built, what was considered back then, modern and comfortable housing.. In recent years, the neighborhood was restored and has become a trendy fun beautiful part of the city and a good place to try some Israeli Gelato!

• Enjoy Nahalat Binyamin Arts and Crafts Market open on Tuesdays and Fridays - Visit Nachalat Binyamin, an open-air market in the heart of Tel-Aviv that has become synonymous with quality Israeli crafts and folk art. The market is comprised of over 100 stands representing specialty crafts and folk art in virtually every medium imaginable: wood, stone, sand, glass, ceramics, and various metals with most if not all containing materials or themes found only in Israel.

• Continue to Independence Trail - Inspired by the Freedom Trail in Boston, the new Independence Trail leads to 10 of Tel Aviv’s heritage sites teaching visitors the history of this great city along the way. The trail begins at the intersection of tree-lined Rothschild Boulevard and Herzl Street, home to Tel Aviv’s first kiosk. The trail ends across the street at Independence Hall, where on May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion read aloud the Declaration of Independence as Israel was declared an independent Jewish state.

• Return to the hotel and time to relax

• Dinner at the hotel or a restaurant - Not included

• Tel Aviv- David Kempinski

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Suggestions:

• -ANU Museum of the Jewish People - You’re invited to join a fascinating journey that portrays the story of the Jewish people through the generations and up to the present time. In June 2021, after ten years of planning and construction, this museum, the largest Jewish museum in the world, opened its doors. It represents all parts of the Jewish people and highlights the creative works and cultural riches of a variety of communities throughout different periods of history. This story is about all of us and each and every one of us is part of it.

• -Tel Aviv Museum of Art - In this dynamic tour we'll figure out what makes Israeli art into what it is, and what’s it relationship with the Zionist narrative as well as the international art world. This tour through the extensive Israeli collection at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art is an amazing way to visually explore the Israeli narrative from the early 20th century until today. What is the story the Arts Establishment tells about Israeli Art?

• -Stroll through Sarona - Sarona is a renovated complex in the heart of Tel Aviv, originally a German Templar Colony, the site sits at the heart of what is a new central business district of the city, with offices and apartments surrounding the beautifully landscaped complex, in which 33 original Templar buildings dating up to more than 140 years, have been painstakingly restored, and today house boutique stores, artist galleries, quaint cafes, and some of the city’s hottest restaurants and bars.

• Tel Aviv- David Kempinski

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel - Check out of the hotel

• Start driving north with a stop at Caesarea National Park - On the Mediterranean coast, Caesarea National Park is one of Israel’s most impressive archeological sites. Here, amazing ancient harbor ruins, beautiful beaches, and magnificent modern residences sit side-by-side. The city was initially built by King Herod in the 1st century BC, who dreamt of a major seaport to connect the Province of Judea with Rome. For this purpose, the king's men designed an entirely artificial harbor that was in use for about a millennium. Caesarea became a central city in Roman and Byzantine times as can be seen from the massive archeological remains on site. View the spectacular Roman amphitheater, still used today as a performance venue, as well as the hippodrome that held 20,000 spectators for chariot races.

• Continue to Akko

• Lunch at Uri Buri - For the past 40 years , the popular Uri Buri restaurant has offered a variety of delicately prepared fresh fish and seafood dishes, and boasts a wine list with over 100 different kinds of fine Israeli wines. (Reservation will be made, not included.)

• Tour Akko - The ancient city of Akko is situated on the Mediterranean, is one of the oldest ports in the world, and a city shared by Jews and Muslims. Walk narrow streets past towering ramparts, deep moats, green domes, venerable synagogues, slender Muslim minarets, and secret passageways. Discover the subterranean city built in the Middle Ages by the Crusaders beneath Akko. Learn about the city’s ancient history as well as its important role in Israel’s modern history.

• Drive to your hotel - Dinner at the hotel

• Mitzpe Hayamim Hotel

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Depart the hotel for the Golan Heights

• Golan Heights Jeep Tour - Take a geo-political tour of the Golan with an expert. While traversing the rich landscape, learn about the history, flora, and fauna of the area. Stop for a lookout over the border with Syria from Mt. Bental to get a better understanding of the geography and strategic role this region has for the State of Israel. Your local guide touches on the nuances of living so close to the Syrian border and what that has meant for Israel as it relates to security and humanitarian issues.

• Lunch and Wine Tasting at Assaf Winery - Assaf Winery a wonderful example of a family-owned fine winery built in the spirit of elevating the wine culture of Israel through unique Israeli wines.

• Spend the rest of the day in Tzfat - Tzfat sits at a higher altitude than any other city in Israel and has been known since the 16th century as a major center of Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism. Tzfat’s mystical aura adds to its special status as one of Israel’s four holy cities, along with Jerusalem, Tiberias, and Hebron. The old synagogues, narrow alleyways and artists’ studios add to the hilltop city’s unmistakable charm.

• Dinner at the hotel's Wood Grill Restaurant - Optional- dinner in the main dining room is included.

• Mitzpe Hayamim Hotel

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Agamon HaHula - Bikes & Golfcarts - The Hula Valley is part of the northern Syrian African Rift Valley which stretches as far south as Mozambique in Africa. Each migration season, over 500 million birds travel through the Hula Lake. This wetland paradise is the perfect stopover for small waterbirds, cormorants, herons, pelicans, raptors, storks, and cranes.

• Druze lunch in a private home - Together with your hosts in their private home, learn to prepare stuffed grape leaves and then enjoy lunch. Learn about Druze culture and history from your hosts and from the food you eat.

• Drive towards Jerusalem

• Stop at Khan Sha'ar ha-Gai - Khan​ Sha’ar Hagai National Heritage Site, also known as Bab el-Wad, is a national memorial site. The khan, which was built as a wayside inn during the Ottoman period, is situated in the narrow opening of Wadi Nahshon on the main road connecting the lowlands with Jerusalem. This road saw fierce battles during the War of Independence, and in memory of the men and women who took part in them, a heritage center was established in the khan, dedicated to those who broke through the road to Jerusalem.

• Ascend to Jerusalem and check into your hotel

• Dinner on your own - We can make restaurant recommendations and reservations.

• Jerusalem- Mamilla Hotel

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Begin the day with overview of the Old City from the Tower of David - Have a 360° panoramic view from atop an ancient guard tower at Tower of David grounds. This is the only place in Jerusalem where the entire Old City, new Jerusalem, Mount of Olives, Mount Scopus, the Judean Desert and the Moab Mountains of Jordan, will be at your feet.

• Tour Jerusalem's Old City - Tour Jerusalem’s Old City and meet the people and places that make this place so unique. In the Jewish Quarter, uncover the layers of Jewish history from the time of the First Temple until the present day. In the Christian Quarter, visit the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, and, if conditions permit, visit one of the holiest Muslim sites, the Temple Mount. Throughout the tour explore the complexity of a city that is holy to the three major religions - Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

• Old City Tasting Tour - Walk through the Muslim and Christian Quarters of the Old City seeing the historical and religious sites. See some off-the-beaten track sites in the winding alleyways and enjoy some Jerusalem delicacies. We will have a “taste of history” that interweaves stories and anecdotes, historical information, and, of course, combines the senses of smell, taste, and sound.

• Time at the Western Wall - Proceed to the Kotel (The Western Wall), sacred because it is one of the last remnants of the Second Temple that was destroyed by the Romans. Feel the stones that have witnessed so much in the history of the Jews. Place your special and personal prayer in the cracks of the stones.

• Tour the Western Wall Tunnels - Explore what’s under the Muslim Quarter through the Kotel Tunnels Tour. The Western Wall is impressive, but its greatness is truly discovered when you descend underground to the Western Wall Tunnels. The tunnels run along approximately 488 meters (1601ft) of the Western Wall, giving visitors a taste of the challenge that stood before Herod the Great during the biggest of all his immense building projects - the expansion of the Temple Mount.

• Return to the hotel and evening on your own

• Mamilla Hotel

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Begin the day at Yad Vashem - Visit the museum at Yad Vashem, Israel’s National Memorial to the Holocaust. Tour this memorial to the darkest moment in the world and Jewish history, its children’s memorial, and exquisite gardens. Yad Vashem is an unforgettable place of tribute and remembrance. You'll be guided by a member of the Yad Vashem staff.

• Continue to Mount Herzl - As Israel’s national cemetery, Mount Herzl is the final resting place of leaders of Zionism and Israel, including Yitzhak Rabin and Herzl himself, and of thousands of soldiers killed defending the State of Israel. At Mount Herzl you will find a moving monument to the 28,000-odd soldiers and civilians killed in combat or by terrorism since the founding of the state.

• Machane Yehuda Tasting Tour - In the heart of Jerusalem sits this bustling, multi-ethnic market bursting with life, art, and flavor. Immerse yourself in the world of Middle Eastern cuisine as you indulge in a tasting tour through Machane Yehuda Market. Learn about the market's rich history, and meet the vendors who bring this place to life, as you experience the vibrant energy unique to this iconic culinary destination.

• Time for touring or shopping

• Dinner on your own

• Optional Tower of David Sound and Light Show - Amidst the archaeological remains in the David Citadel courtyard, the story of Jerusalem unfolds through virtual reality images. The Night Spectacular uses trompe l'oeil technology – the stones of the walls and structures fade into the scenes and the viewers are part of a multi-sensory experience.

• Mamilla Hotel

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel - Check out of the hotel

• Early departure to Masada

• Masada National Park - Ascend by cable car to explore Masada, scene of the epic stand by Jewish rebels at the end of the Great Revolt against Rome nearly 2,000 years ago. The new museum at the Visitor Center reveals the secrets of the daily life of the rebels, the story of the excavations, and how the site became one of Israel’s most important symbols.

• Dead Sea Resort for swim and lunch - Israel’s Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth, a stunning, other-worldly landscape of shimmering blue water ringed by bare, orange and yellow hills. The waters of the Dead Sea hold a potent solution of minerals and salts that have strong healing properties. Together with its ethereal beauty, these health-giving minerals make the Dead Sea’s beaches and spas popular vacation spots for Israelis and tourists alike. At one of the local hotels, have lunch and 'swim' in the Dead Sea.

• Drive to Eilat and check into the hotel

• Dinner at the hotel or at a local restaurant on your own - Not included

• Royal Beach Eilat

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Transfer to the Arava Border Crossing - VIP services crossing the border

• Drive to Petra

• Visit Petra, Jordan's jewel, the capital city of the Nabateans - Petra is a vast, unique city, carved into the sheer rock face of the rose red stones of the Wadi Mousa Mountains by the Nabataeans, an industrious Arab people who settled here more than 2000 years ago, turning it into an important junction for the silk, spice and other trade routes that linked China, India and southern Arabia with Egypt, Syria, Greece and Rome. Despite successive attempts by the Seleucid king Antigonus, the Roman emperor Pompey and Herod the Great to bring Petra under the control of their respective empires, Petra remained largely in Nabataean hands until around 100AD, when the Romans took over. Upon arrival, you will take a horseback ride (optional), and walk through the Siq - the only access to this city. Enjoy lunch (included).

• Lunch included

• Check into your hotel

• Dinner at the hotel

• Movenpick Resort Petra

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel - Check out of the hotel

• Drive to Wadi Rum

• Tour Wadi Rum - Travel to Wadi Rum. In Wadi Rum you shall pass the famous “Seven Pillars of Wisdom” on your way to the Visitors Centre, where you will have a short stop. Here you will board a local open 4 X 4 Vehicle escorted by a Bedouin guide to take you out into the desert for 3 hours. You will visit the Lawrence Spring, the Famous Ghazaly Gorge with its ancient Rock inscriptions. Lunch Break at a Bedouin Camp. At the end of the tour we drive for about an hour to Petra/Wadi Rum for check in at the Hotel

• Lunch included

• Drive to the Arava Crossing and VIP services to cross the border

• Transfer to Beresheet Hotel - Check into the hotel

• Dinner at the hotel

• Beresheet

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Enjoy a day of leisure at Beresheet Hotel

• Dinner at the hotel

• Beresheet

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Jeep ride in Makhtesh Ramon - Ride through the stunning Negev Desert and get to know the endless variations of the landscape. Explore the area of Makhtesh Ramon and immerse yourself in the details of the land around you.

• Ramon Visitors Center - Through interactive exhibits, the Mitzpe Ramon Visitor Center, set on the northern cliffs of the Ramon Crater, tells the geological story behind this unique and amazing work of nature and contrasts it with the life of Astronaut Ilan Ramon.

• Lunch and wine tasting at Carmey Avdat Farm - This modern-day vineyard is planted on the remains of the ancient terraces, taking care to preserve the archeological remains of the former vineyard. When it rains the vineyard is irrigated by the floodwaters – exactly as it was in ancient times.

• Sde Boker Grave of Ben Gurion - Visit the grave of David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first Prime Minister, whose vision for settling the desert continues to bloom today. Throughout the day, you’ll see his vision come to life.

• Dinner at the hotel

• Beresheet

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel - Check out of the hotel

• 6:00 a.m. Depart the hotel and transfer to the airport - UA85 Departs 12:00 noon

• You will be met by a VIP agent for departure procedures